Steering-propeller.



Patenteu'Aug. l,y i899.

A. T. una. STEERING PBDPELLEB.

(Applicltion med 3m. 2, 1896. Renewed Jan. 5, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet i.

(No Modal.)

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` UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT T. OTTO, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO ROBERT L. STEVENS, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

STEERING-PROPELLER,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. $29,966, dated August 1, 1899. Application tiled .'l'anuary` 2, 1896. Renewed llanuary 5, 1899. Serial No. 701,282. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERTT. OTTO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,- have invented an Improvement in Propellers, of which the following is aspecication.

The present invention is especially adapted to the propulsion of comparatively small boats, and the propeller is itted so that it can be used for stopping the boat or for giving to it sternway without reversing the direction of rotation, and it can also be used for steering the boat so as to dispense with a rudder.l An electric motor ora gas or other engine of any desired character can be made use of with this propeller, and in small motors it is generally advantageous to build them so that they only I therefore construct my propeller with blades that can be changed in their inclination, so that when set in one direction the boat will be propelled forward, or when set in the other direction -it will be moved backward, and the blades may also be placed so as to revolve edgewise without giving any movement to the boat. I also mount the horizontal propeller-shaft in a frame, by which the propeller may be swung around horizontally, and hence it'will act either directly in the center line of the boat or at an angle to the' same for steering the boat in one direction or the other.l f

In the drawings, Figurel is an elevation, partiallyin section, of the-improved propeller and appliances. Fig. 2 is a plan view below the line 2 2'of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a section at the line 4 4 of Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 is a partial section at the top of the steering-shaft. Fig. 6 is a side view of the steering-handles and sect-ion of the frame, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the forward portion of the frame.

A portion of the stern of the boat is represented at A, and the frame B is advantageously applied removably to .the sternof the boat, so that it can be hooked upon the boat or removed therefrom as desired, and it is advantageous to provide clamps C for connecting the frame to the' stern of the boat, and this frame may receive any suitable motor. I

have not represented the same, as it may be electric or ofanyjother desired character.

Extending down from the frame B is a tubular bearing D for the vertical shaft E which is to be driven bythe' motor, and at the lower end of this are bevel-gears F and G, the latter being upon the propeller-shaft H, so that the same is rotated and with it the propeller and the parts connected therewith.

The frame K is at the lower end of the shaft E, and it has a bearing 7 for the propellershaft, the bevel-gears F and G being within the frame, and they may be inoased by any suitable box or case connected with such frame K and shown at IV in the drawings, and the upper part of the frame K projects as a segmental gear 8, that engages a similar gear 9 upon a shaft I, that passes up and is suitably supported in the frame B, and at its upper end is a handle L, by which this shaft I can be turned, so as to act through the segmental gears 9 and Sto turn the frame K upon the vertical shaftE and swing the propeller-shaft 8 around horizontally into any desired position, so that when the propeller-shaft is in line with the center of the boat the boat can oe propelled either forward or backward, but when the propeller-shaft is at an' angle the boat will be propelled in either one' direction or the other and also steered by the action of the propeller.

Around the tubular bearing I) is a hub or cylinder M, having a segment of ribs l0 upon its rear surface, andan arm 1l projects from the hub to a tube N, around the shaft I, and this tube N can be raised. or lowered by any suitable device-such, for instance, as the handle O-t-hat is connected to the steeringhandle L and can be operated at the saine time, the object being to use this handle 0 in varying the inclination of the propellerblades, as next described.

Upon the Viframe K an arn1f12 passes upwardly and backwardly andreceives a pivot 13 for the bent lever P, which is advanta geously forked or madein `two-parts, so as to pass down at opposite sides of the arm 12, and the upper end of this bent lever has a segment of teeth 14 engaging the ribs 10. Hence as the hub M is raised or lowered the bent lever P will be swung; but the segment IDO of teeth will continue in engagement with the segment of ribs when the frame K is swung around horizontally upon the bushing of the vertical shaft E. I 'make use of the bent lever P for varying the angle of inclination of the propeller-blades Q, and with this object in view the head R is permanently connected to the propeller-shaft H, so as to be rotated therewith, and this head R has projecting studs 15, upon which are received the tubular stocks 1G of the propeller-blades Q, and at the bases of these tubular stocks are gear-segments 17, that are engaged by teeth on the racks S and S', which racks are at opposite sides of the propeller-stocks, and the racks are guided in recesses formed in the head R, and the racks S S are connected to a slide-block T upon the propeller-shaft, which slide-block T engages the clutch-block U, that is loose upon the propeller-shaft and connected by the pivots 18 to the arms of the bent lever P, so that this clutch-block U can be slipped endwise of the propeller shaft while such shaft is rotating and carrying with it the slide-block T and racks that are being rotated by and with the propeller-shaft, and by this end movement the racks S S are caused to partially revolve the tubular stocks of the propeller and turn the propeller-blades into the desired positions for either propelling the boat forward or backward or for allowing the propellers to revolve without giving motion to the boat.

Any suitable connection may be made betweeen the slide-block T and the clutchblock U. I have represented the slide-block T as having projections that pass at opposite sides of the clutch-block and the clutch-block as having a peripheral groove receiving a ring that is held by screws 19, passing through the projections on the clutch-block and into the divided ring 20, so that the ring and clutch-block can be rotated with the propeller-shaft while the slide-block T is held by the arms of the bent lever P and can be moved endwise, as before indicated.

By the devices before described I am enabled to use the propeller for moving the boat in either direction and also for steering the same, so as to dispense with a rudder and place the boat entirely under the control of one person.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a propelling apparatus, of a propeller and its horizontal shaft, a vertical driving-shaft crossing forward of the propeller-shaft and connecting-gearing, a frame for supporting the propeller and its shaft and pivoted upon the driving-shaft above and below the gearing and having thereon a gear, and a vertical steering-shaft and gear thereon for turning the propeller and its frame around horizontally, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a propeller and its shaft, of a vertical shaft and miter-gearin g for driving the propeller, a frame for carrying the vertical shaft and means for removably connecting the frame upon the stern of a boat, a frame for supporting the propeller-shaft, such frame being movable about the vertical shaft, a segmental gear upon the frame, a vertical steering-shaft and handle for turning such vertical steering-shaft and a gear thereon engaging the gear of the frame for turning the propeller-shaft to any desired position to the center of the boat, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the propeller and its shaft, of a vertical shaft and gearing for connecting the propeller-shaft and vertical shaft, a head for carrying the propellers and upon which the blades are supported so that they can be turned into any desired angular position, gear-segm ents and racks for turning the propellers, a slide-block with which the racks are connected and mechanism for giving motion to the slide-block to set the propeller-blades, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the propeller and its shaft, of a vertical shaft and gearing for connecting the propeller-shaft and vertical shaft, a head for carrying the propellers and upon which the blades are supported so that they can be turned` into any desired angular position, gear-segments and racks for turning the propellers, a slide-block with which the racks are connected, a clutch-block, a bent lever for acting upon the clutch-block and having a gear-segment, a hub having segmental ribs engaging the teeth on the bent lever and means for moving the hub vertically to change the angle of the propeller-blades, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the propeller and its shaft, of a vertical shaft and gearing for connecting the propeller-shaft and vertical shaft, a head for carrying the propellers and upon which the blades are supported so that they can be turned into any desired angular position, gear-segments and racks for turning the propellers, a slide-block with which the racks are connected, a clutch-block, a bent lever for acting upon the clutch-block and havingy a gear-segment, a hub having segmental ribs engaging the teeth on the bent lever, an arm on the hub and ahandle and connection to the arm for moving the hub and setting the propeller-blades to the desired angle, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination in a propelling apparatus, of a propeller and its shaft, a drivingshaft and connecting-gearing,a frame adapted to swin g around horizontally upon the drivingshaft and carrying the propeller-shaft, a shaft and gearing for acting upon the frame and mechanism for setting and holding the propeller-blades at the desired angle, substantially as set forth.

'7. The combination in a propelling apparatus, of a propeller and its shaft, a drivingshaft and connecting-gearing,aframe adapted to swin g aroundhorizontally upon the drivingshaft and carrying the propeler-shaft, a shaft I steering-shaft and levers for acting upon the Io and gearing for acting upon the frame, racks respective parts, substantially as set forth.

and a sliding bock with which they are cou- Signed byV me this 20th day of December,` eeted for setting the prope11er-b1ades at the 1895.

5 esire. an g1e,a clutch-block and bent leverfor acting upon the sliding bleek, a hub and seg- ALBERT T' OTTO mental ribs for receiving the teeth of the bent VVtnesses:

' lever, an arm upon the hub and a tube con- GEO. T. PDIGKNEY,

neeted with vthe arm and surrounding the S. T. HAVILAND. 

